Cooling condensing unit in refrigerating apparatus



United States Patent COOLING CONDENSING UNIT IN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Lawrence A. Philipp, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Nash- Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Maryland Application July 28, 1953, Serial No. 37 0,747

4 Claims. (Cl..62117.45)

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to an arrangement for removing heat from the refrigerant liquefying element used in connection with said apparatus.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved ventilating arrangement for a machine compartment of a refrigerator so that the heat of the refrigerant liquefying element is removed even though the refrigerator is positioned in cramped room quarters or objects are inadvertently placed thereabout.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator partly broken away and showing features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view in cross section of the lower portion of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear view of the lower portion of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 20 designates in general a refrigerator cabinet having an outer casing 22 and an inner liner 24 which liner forms walls of a food storage compartment 26 which is closed by a door 28. Insulation 30 is positioned between the casing 22 and the liner 24 in the usual manner.

Within the lower rear portion of the cabinet 20 is a machine compartment 32 which is formed on the sides thereof by the outer casing 22, on the top and front by a sheet metal member 34 and on the bottom by a supporting platform 38. The outer casing is provided with a plurality of vents 40 and 42 so that air may freely flow laterally through compartment 32. The supporting platform 38 is spaced upwardly by legs 44 so same will be above the room floor level. This platform 38 is provided with spaced apart vents 46 and 48 to provide for additional ventilation of the compartment 32.

Within the machine compartment 32 is a refrigerant liquefying element 50 which includes a motor-compressor unit or compressing element 52, condenser or condensing element 54 and fan 56. These elements are supported on the same horizontal plane by a base 58 carried by platform 38 with the compressing element 52 adjacent vent 48, the condensing element 54 adjacent vent 46 and the fan 56 between said vents 48 and 46. The liquefying element 50 is operatively connected to a refrigerant evaporator 60 which extends under shelves 62 in compartment 26 to absorb heat from articles stored therein in the usual manner. The element 50 is connected to evaporator 60 by a small diameter refrigerant flow control conduit 64, refrigerant supply conduit 66 and vapor return conduit 68 in the usual manner. A coiled portion of vapor conduit 68 is placed opposite vents 40 and over vent 46. Cold refrigerant vapors returning from evaporator 60 in coiled conduit 68 serve to cool the air circulating through compartment 32 and such warm air raises the back pressure in conduit 68.

In accordance with my invention I also provide a vertically depending baffle 70 which is carried by platform 38 and extending from front to rear of cabinet 20 between vents 46 and 48. This bafile 70 insures the flow of air over the elements 52 and 54 of liquefying element 50 even though vents 40 and/or 42 are obstructed because the refrigerator cabinet should be placed in cramped quarters or because someone inadvertently placed an ob ject thereover.

During operation of the liquefying element 50 the fan 56 operates to circulate air through compartment 32 in the direction of the arrows shown in the drawings. The fan 56 is preferably of the suction type and causes air to move into vents 40 over coiled conduit 68, condenser 54, motor-compressor unit 52 and out vents 42. If, however, vents 40 should be obstructed the fan 56 will cause air to move into vent 46 over coiled conduit 68, condenser 54, motor-compressor unit 52 and out vent 48 unless vents 42 are not obstructed at this time. If vents 42 are open the circulating air is free to pass therethrough as well as through vent 48. The bafiie 70 insures this flow of circulating air.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that I have provided an arrangement for ventilating a machine compartment at all times to thereby insure the removal of the heat of liquefaction in the refrigerating system.

Although only a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated, and that form described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet having a machine compartment and being provided with vents on each side thereof, a supporting platform form ing the bottom wall of said compartment, a condensing element in said compartment mounted on said platform, a compressing element in said compartment mounted on said platform beside said condensing element, a refrigerant evaporator in said cabinet, a vapor return conduit between said evaporator and condensing element and including a coiled portion between one of the vents on the side of the compartment and said condensing element and a fan for moving air through the vent on one side of the compartment into contact with said conduit and said elements and out the vent on the other side of the compartment, and said platform being provided with two vents with one being adjacent the condensing element and the other adjacent the compressing element.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet having a machine compartment and being provided with vents on each side thereof, a supporting platform forming the bottom wall of said compartment, a condensing element in said compartment mounted on said platform, a compressing element in said compartment mounted on said platform beside said condensing element, a fan for moving air through the vent on one side of the compartment into contact with said elements and out the vent on the other side of said compartment, said platform being provided with two vents with one being adjacent the condensing element and the other being adjacent the compressing element, and a battle below said platform positioned between the two vents therein.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet having a machine compartment and being provided with vents on each side thereof, a supporting platform forming the bottom wall of said compartment, a condensing element in said compartment mounted on said platform, a compressing element in said compartment mounted on said platform beside said condensing element, a refrigerant evaporator in said cabinet, a vapor return conduit between said evaporator and condensing element and including a coiled portion adjacent said condensing element, a fan for moving air through the vent on one side of the compartment'into contact with said elements and out the vent on the other side of said compartment, said platform being provided with two vents with one being adjacent the condensing element and the other being adjacent the compressing element, and'a bafile below said platform positioned between the two vents therein.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet machine compartment formed in part by upright and bottom walls, a. pair of adjacent air vents respectively located in the bottom wall and one of the upright walls of the compartment, n second pair of adjacent air vents respectively located in the bottom wall and in another of the .upright walls, a refrigerant motor-compressor unit Within the compartment adjacent one of said pair of vents,

a refrigerant condenser within the compartment operatively connected to the motor-compressor unit and located adjacent the other pair of vents, and a fan within said compartment disposed between said pairs of vents operable to effect air flow into the compartment through either or both of one pair of said vents and out of either or both of the other pair of vents to cool the motor-compressor unit and condenser.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,281,027 Kramer Oct. 8, 1918 1,769,111 Davenport July 1 1930 1,799,940 Williams Apr; 7, 1931 2,123,059 Newman July 5, 1938 2,150,700 Phillip et a1. Mar. 14, 1939 2,236,111 Phillip Mar. 25, 1941 

